Photo: Heiyinmatthewlo / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I'll be honest, Ryusuke Hamaguchi is one of those directors I didn't expect to fall for and then completely did. Drive My Car was my way in, and what got me wasn't some big flashy hook but the way he just lets people sit in a car and talk, lets the silences stretch until they start aching. Guy went to the University of Tokyo, came out of Kawasaki, clearly brilliant, but nothing he makes feels showy or smart for its own sake. He's patient in a way that feels almost stubborn, asking you to give him three hours and trusting you'll be glad you did. Festival darling, decorated abroad, and yet zero pretension in the work. I trust him to find the quiet ache underneath ordinary conversations, and honestly that's rarer than it sounds.
Overview
Ryusuke Hamaguchi is a Japanese film director and screenwriter born on December 16, 1978, in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. A graduate of the University of Tokyo, he is best known internationally for Drive My Car and Happy Hour, films that earned him recognition at major festivals worldwide. He received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier) from France in 2023, along with the Mainichi Film Concours Award for Best Director.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ryusuke Hamaguchi
- Name (Japanese)
- 濱口竜介
- Reading
- はまぐち りゅうすけ
- Born
- December 16, 1978 (age 47)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Horse (午)
- Origin
- Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
- Occupation
- Film Director / Screenwriter
2. Background
- High school
- Chiba Prefectural Higashi-Katsushika Junior and Senior High School
- University
- University of Tokyo
Awards & achievements
- Mainichi Film Concours Award for Best Director (year unknown)
- Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Chevalier (2023)
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable Work | Happy Hour | — | Unknown |
| Notable Work | Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy | — | Unknown |
| Notable Work | Drive My Car | — | Unknown |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Ryusuke Hamaguchi born?
Born December 16, 1978 (age 47).
Where is Ryusuke Hamaguchi from?
Ryusuke Hamaguchi is from Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
What does Ryusuke Hamaguchi do?
Ryusuke Hamaguchi works as Film Director, Screenwriter.
What is Ryusuke Hamaguchi known for?
Notable works include Happy Hour, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Drive My Car.
Film Director — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.